Take a stroll around the massive park in the middle of Moscow that's filled with Soviet architecture

First opened in 1939 as an agricultural exhibition, Moscow's Vystavka Dostinzheniy Narodnogo Khozyaystva — you can call it VDNH— has grown into something much more than that.

After several name changes and renovations, the park is now a major hub of the Russian capital, even boasting its own eponymous metro stop. With more than two million square meters of territory to explore, VDNH is stuffed with museums, shops, cultural displays, amusement park rides, a functioning farm, and the largest ice skating rink in Europe.

Bring comfortable walking shoes.

As the full name of the park translates to "Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy of the USSR," there are displays of Soviet might everywhere. Figuring prominently into the park's geography are a number of ornate pavilions dedicated to former Soviet republics, each one containing displays (and gift shops) hawking that country's wares.

VDNH simultaneously serves as a place to commemorate Soviet achievement as well as a place to enjoy a sunny Moscow afternoon. We visited in December, which is quite the frozen off-season, but there was still no shortage of things to see.

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To get to VDNH, we had to first ride the metro to the stop of the same name.

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Before even entering the park, the foreboding “Monument to the Conquerors of Space” loomed high over everything. Built in 1964, this 351-foot statue depicts a rocket in flight, a tip of the hat to Soviet aviation ingenuity. But there’s much more inside the park.

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A short walk away from the metro, we found the main entrance to VDNH.

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You'll notice there's a construction platform around the plaza for restoration work. More on that soon.

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This entrance display is a popular place to commemorate your visit with a group photo.

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We visited during a time of renovations. Some 25 million people visit the park each year, but as this was the frigid off-season, a number of buildings were closed for restoration.
This sign said, “Today, construction. Tomorrow, history.”

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Once inside the park boundaries, we were greeted by the central pavilion and a statue of Vladimir Lenin.

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This map gave us a sense of how long we could expect to take getting around the park on foot. We saw a number of people traveling on bicycle despite the chilly temperatures, about 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

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We first came across a pavilion dedicated to Armenia.

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It was decidedly warmer on the inside. The Armenian flag hung on the wall amidst a cafe selling wines from the region.

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Other Armenian goods were on display, available for purchase.

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Back outside, we got a pleasant view of one section of the gigantic ice skating track. There’s more than 215,000 square feet of skate-able ice here.

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This reverse angle shows much of the rest of the track.

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Across from the gigantic ice rink, we found a pavilion dedicated to the Republic of Belarus.

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Its columns were done up in impressive detail, showcasing assorted Belarusian produce.

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Inside was a scene familiar from the Armenian pavilion: a warm place to engage in commerce.

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The Soviets put the first human being into outer space — full-size displays of the former country’s aviation excellence were parked right on the snow-covered grass.

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This rocket is a nonfunctional copy of the "Vostok" model, which was used in the 1960s to launch the earliest space satellites as well as the first manned spaceflight.

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If you want a more directed experience learning about Russian history and culture, then you’ll surely want to check out the "Russia: My History" exhibit, open every day except Monday.

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As we were visiting on a Monday, we instead enjoyed this "#Russia" sign immediately outside the exhibit.

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Walking further, we came across a field and small village. It was completely quiet and there was not a soul in sight.

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We ventured on to find one of the year-round greenhouses, part of VDNH’s functional farm.

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This empty cafe is surely a bustling place in warmer months.

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This mysterious building was unlabeled but had beautiful mosaics off to the side ...

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… such as this paratrooper …

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… and this depiction of an airship flying over Moscow.

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We wound our way back toward the entrance. There was hot food for sale here, just what the doctor ordered after a long, brisk walk.

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Significantly recharged, we made our way to the exit.

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